Distant Memories
by Faith1
Summary: Witches, demons, spells and incantations . . .there's more to the G-boys family trees than asassins and business men! Duo convinces the others to try a summoning spell, unfortunatly things do not go as planned . . .*2x1, 3x4!* /Part 3 up!/
1. Default Chapter

A/N – Welcome one and all to the re-vamped version of this chapter!  The only thing which has really changed is the fact that Heero and Duo ar already in an established releationship.  I have already explored their getting together in my previous gw fic, Harmless Heart (shameless plug, I know), and wanted to focus on testing their relationship instead of forming it.  Ok, enough from me…on with the fic!

Disclaimer – Not mine.  Not mine.  Not mine.

Warnings – Shounen ai (boy x boy love), supernatural stuff

The Tempter

            Five girls laughed as they splashed in the lake.  A nervous energy and a wild excitement overpowered them as they completed the cleansing ritual.  The five of them were witches, a fact that they had to hide carefully from the devout religious society in which they lived.  They were all under the age of eighteen and were only novices in the craft.  Together the five girls had unimaginable power although they were ignorant to the fact.  The working that they were about to try was meant only for those who had great experience, but they didn't care.  As they pulled on their white shifts they couldn't give a damn about the rules.  

          A girl with long chestnut hair and shining violet eyes reached down and picked up a large leather bound book which she hugged protectively to her chest.  Another, with hair and eyes as black as the midnight sky, lifted the newly forged sword an admired its gem studded hilt.  The next had mossy brown hair and piercing cobalt blue eyes.  She picked up the dagger and smirked as she tested the edge, cutting her finger in the process.   The girl who followed had cool emerald eyes and hair that fell over her face in a mahogany waterfall as she snatched up the hazel wand, which had been cut at dawn.  The final girl had pale blonde hair as fine as silk and eyes that sparkled like crystals.  She lifted the pot of salt from the ground and smiled at her friends, they were ready to go.

          They walked in silence to the clearing in the forest which was perfect for the casting.  Anna walked slowly around, casting a protective salt circle.  When she had finished she stepped back, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, watching as May walked forward.  Still clutching the sword in one hand, she used the other to pull protective stones out of her pouch and dropped them around the circle.  As soon as she had closed the stone circle she stepped back and watched, with a smirk on her face, as Vivienne's cat-like reflexes caught the pot of salt that Anna dropped.  Vivienne then began to draw a salt pentagram inside the circle.  Her emerald eyes focused intently on her task, when she completed the symbol she carefully stepped out.  Adel then took the sword from May and the wand from Vivienne.  She walked forwards and placed the dagger, sword and wand in their correct places.  Finally Melusine moved forward, her violet eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.  Under one arm she carried the book, in the other she produced an amethyst, the stone that represented her spirit.  Anna held up a piece of opal as Vivienne revealed an emerald.  May held up an obsidian stone and finally Adel open her palm to reveal a sapphire resting against her skin.  They threw the five gemstones into the centre of the pentagram, then each took their place in one of the five points of the star.  Melusine opened the book.

*        *          *

          "_This_ is our new safe house?" Duo questioned with disbelief written clearly across his features.  "This looks more like one of your places Q-man!" he exclaimed and shot a grin at the rich Arabian, who stuck his tongue out at Duo in response.  

          "Open the door," Heero Yuy's voice was as quiet and monotonous as ever but held a strength and power which demanded immediate attention.  Duo rolled his eyes at his lover in exaggerated exasperation and put the key into the lock.  The five young men crowded inside and stopped dead as a blast of cold air swept over them.  Duo sighed and frowned as his breath became visible in the cold air.  

          "Oh man!  Haven't these people heard of central heating?" Duo moaned as he saw that there were no radiators and an open fireplace took pride of place in the living room.  

          "Stop whining Maxwell!" Wufei ordered briskly as he shut the door behind them.  "It is better than the last place, be thankful for that!" Duo shuddered as he remembered the _extremely _small safe house they had occupied for the last two weeks.  His violet eyes flickered around the entrance hall with a critical eye.  The place was decent enough, although the décor seemed to lean towards the middle ages look.  Wooden beams ran across the ceiling and down into matching wooden pillars which lined the hall.  The furniture in the living room was made from what appeared to be mahogany, although their simplistic design hinted at a cheaper wood.  The walls were a neutral cream throughout causing Duo to sigh at the lack of colour.  Without warning Duo made a mad dash up the stairs, drawing four pairs of eyes to him in the process.  The owners quickly dismissed the hyperactive American's antics, this had become somewhat of a ritual every time they arrived a new safe house.  

          "THERE ARE FOUR ROOMS!" Duo yelled at the top of his voice, causing the others to wince and wish that the braided boy came with volume control.  Duo ran back down the stairs and grabbed onto the handrail as he lost his footing.  "Ahem!  I meant to do that!" he exclaimed which earnt him a snort of amusement from Wufei, a quiet giggle from Quatre and the slight upturning of Trowa's lips.  Heero shot him a glance under raised eyebrows, knowing that his lover had most likely stumbled on purpose in order to draw a laugh from his audience.

          "Baka," Heero commented dryly but Duo picked up on the warmth in prussian eyes, making the insult into almost an endearment.  

          "There's two doubles, one twin and a single," Duo reported.

          "I get the single," Wufei said quickly, preferring to indulge his urge for privacy.

          "We'll take one of the doubles if nobody minds," Quatre stated politely, grasping one of Trowa' hands with his.  Duo sneaked an envious glace at their intertwined hands, knowing that Heero was still uncomfortable with showing affection even in front of their closest friends and would probably continue to feel so for a long time.  Catching Duo's wistful look, Heero spoke up.

"We'll take the other double," he announce quietly, glancing at Duo through moss brown bangs for conformation.  Violet eyes lit up and Duo had to stop himself from glomping his lover.  Seeing that Duo was struggling Quatre quickly intervened.

"I'm gonna go check out the kitchen," he declared, knowing that would get Duo's attention.

          "Food!" Duo yelled happily and dragged the blond boy into the kitchen, the two reappeared a few seconds later when it was discovered that there wasn't a scrap of food in the place.

          "I'm going to go down to the store, anyone want to come?" Quatre asked hopefully.  Trowa nodded, Heero simply ignored the question, grabbed his laptop and headed upstairs, Wufei said something about getting some peace and quiet, while Duo discovered an urge to explore the safe house.

          "You two lovebirds have fun!" he cried mischievously as they left then turned to tease Wufei, who had miraculously disappeared.  A moment later a very annoyed looking Perfect Soldier marched back down the stairs.  Of course anyone who didn't know Heero wouldn't even be able to see this.  Heero didn't express his emotions in the usual way.  Heero's annoyance was only visible in the slightly stormy blue eyes and the tense way he held his frame.

          "Where ya going Hee-chan?" Duo enquired, allowing himself a moment of self-indulgence as he surveyed Heero's tense body.

          "Electricity's out and the batteries are flat," Heero growled.  Naturally the braided boy did not need to ask what his partner was referring to, knowing that one of the few things that got under Heero's skin was not being able to work on his laptop.  Heero marched outside to search of the box, giving his lover a wonderful view of his spandex clad rear as he left.

          Duo shook himself out of his crude and rather explicit thoughts involving that ass, deciding to put Heero out of his mind in favour of exploring the house.  Duo walked up the stairs and searched each of the rooms on the second floor.  There were only the four bedrooms and a bathroom which had both a bath and shower he noted happily, showers made for much convenience where the washing of hip long hair was concerned.  Walking back downstairs saw that discovered a large living room, a fitted kitchen, a small library and an empty storeroom.  He frowned, the building from the outside gave the appearance of being much larger than it actually was.  He left from the storeroom and was about to close the door when a strange feeling passed over him.  He walked back inside and glanced around at the bare walls before looking down at the floor.  A grin appeared on his heart shaped face as he saw the distinct outline of a trap door.  Curiosity overpowering him, Duo knelt down and pulled it open to reveal an old wooden ladder leading down into a black cavern.  Without a moments hesitation the Deathscythe pilot swung himself down into the cellar and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.  A sudden light sprang into life causing him to jump and glare up at the offending light bulb, which swung innocently from the ceiling. 

          "Huh, Heero must have fixed the electric," Duo murmured to himself.  Like the storeroom the cellar was bare except for a box that lurked in the shadows of the room.  Moving quickly Duo pulled it in into the light and saw that it was in fact a chest, not a box.  He ran a hand over the intricate engravings that decorated the ancient wood, memorised by the swirling patterns he traced.  Shaking himself out of his transfixion Duo pulled out his 'picks from a pocket inside his outfit.  Selecting the one that he wanted he deftly slid it into the lock fastening the chest shut and with practised hands had it open within seconds.  Duo felt like a kid who had found a treasure chest as the lock fell to the floor.  He slowly opened the lid as an almost reverent feeling swept though his body.  The chest was made from unvarnished wood and the inside was lined with soft green velvet.  There were several objects lying inside that were wrapped lovingly in cream silk.  With gentle hands Duo lifted them out one by one until he came to the last item in the chest.  It was large and rectangular, covered in the same cream silk as the others.   Duo lifted it out and placed the object in his lap, then slowly and carefully began to peel the silk away.  The fabric fell to the floor forgotten as Duo stared at the book in his hand with a strange expression on his face.  

"I know this," he breathed softly.  The book was covered in ageing leather that bore the same design as the chest.  As he once again traced the pattern with a finger tip Duo felt a strange feeling overcome him.  He knew the book, yet he had never seen it before.  He shook his head violently, sending his braid flying, to chase the feeling away.  His violet eyes scrutinised the cover until he heard footsteps upstairs.  Duo hurried up the ladders, leaving the contents of the mysterious chest strewn across the floor, not noticing that the light turned itself out as he left.

*          *          *

"Heero!" Duo yelled as he caught sight of the boy standing in the living room, Prussian blue eyes focused on him immediately.  "You have got to come see this!" Duo grinned excitedly at his lover.

"I'm busy," Heero replied flatly.

"It won't take a second!  Honest!" Duo stuck out his bottom lip and widened his eyes giving the other boy the best puppy-dog look he possessed.  He grinned again as Heero sighed, finding himself unable to resist and walked over to him.  Thirty seconds later found the two pilots standing in the cellar in complete darkness.

"Damnit!" Duo yelled in frustration.  "Where's the light switch?"

"Duo," Heero's voice was filled with exaggerated patience.  "I haven't switched the electricity back on yet."  

"What?" Duo questioned unbelievingly.  "It was on like two seconds ago!"  

"It isn't on, I couldn't find the box," Heero insisted and Duo knew he would gain nothing by lying about it.

"That's weird then," he remarked. "I'll go get a torch!" Duo announced as the idea hit him.  He began to climb the ladder and was halfway up when light blossomed in the cellar.  Duo nearly fell off in surprise as he swung around to see Heero glaring up at the suspicious light bulb.  "That's _really_ weird!" he remarked as he jumped off the ladder and walked over to the chest and its contents.  "Well anyway, this is what I wanted to show you!  I got this really strange feeling when I saw this book, like I knew it or something.  Do you recognise it?"  

While Duo rambled Heero had moved up to him and knelt down next to the chest.  He boy ignored both Duo's rambling and question as he moved his hand down to one of the silk wrapped objects.  Heero unravelled the material and looked carefully at the dagger which was revealed.  Looking over his comrades shoulder Duo saw that the hilt of the dagger was decorated in the same way as the chest and book.  He frowned in concern as Heero ran a finger lightly over the edge of the blade, the cool metal slicing its way though his skin as he did so.  The Wing pilot smirked as he lifted his finger and saw the wound.

"Déjà vu," he said quietly.

"What?" Duo asked confused.  Heero looked up at him, blue eyes lost and distant.

"I have this perfect memory of testing the blade and slicing my finger," he explained, still studying the cut.

"Maxwell!  Yuy!" a loud voice cut through the silence before a black haired youth clambered down the ladder and glared at both of them.  "What are you doing down here?" Wufei snapped before looking at the objects in front of him.

"Hey Wu-man, you recognise this?" Duo asked, holding out the book to the Chinese boy, knowing Heero wasn't going to give him a proper answer.  To his disappointment Wufei shook his head, seeming to be too preoccupied with the other  objects on the floor to even yell at Duo for calling him Wu-man.

"What is all this?" he asked, a frown marring his features.

"I have no idea!" Duo replied cheerfully.  He watched at Wufei snatched up another of the bundles from the floor and began to free it from the silk.  Wufei's frown deepened as he raised the sword that he had discovered into the guard position, gripping the engraved hilt in both hands.  The sword was exactly the right weight and balance, it felt like it had been made for him.

"I feel like I've held this before," Wufei told the other boys absently.

"Ok," Duo started.  "Why don't we take this stuff upstairs and wait for the lovebirds 'cus I'm sensing a pattern here!"  Heero placed the dagger in the chest along with the other objects and, seeing Duo and Wufei had tight grips on their respective items, snapped the lid shut before easily lifting it into his arms.

"Lets go,"

*          *          *

Twenty minutes later the front door of the safe house swung open and Quatre and Trowa strolled in carrying enough food to supply four people and one Duo with enough food to last for a week.  Trowa raised an eyebrow at his lover when they weren't immediately pounced on by the self proclaimed Shinigami.  Quatre shrugged and walked into the living room only to be faced with two grim faced pilots and one grinning one.

"Hey guys," Quatre greeted, made uncomfortable by their stares.  "What's going on?"  Trowa walked in as Heero stood up and gestured to a chest and five objects laid out on a coffee table.

"Recognise any of these?" he asked both of them, his eyes unreadable as always.  The blond glanced over at the table, then back to Heero.

"No!  Any reason I . . ." Quatre trailed off as his eyes were drawn back to the table.  A small frown crossed his delicate features as his eyes locked on a small china pot painted intricately with a complex pattern.  "I . . .the pot, it looks . . ."

"Familiar?" Wufei supplied dryly.

"What about you Trowa?" Duo asked the silent teenager.  Trowa walked over to the table and studied the items carefully before picking up a length of wood carved with the same pattern as the others.

"I know this," he said quietly.  Duo sighed and rubbed a hand across his forehead.

"So now the question is, what does this mean?"  The other pilots looked at Duo blankly indicating that they had no idea.  "I know that this may sound a little um, crazy, but I get the feeling that the answer is in there." He pointed to the book.

"So open it then!" Wufei ordered impatiently, annoyed at not knowing what was happening to them.  Duo grabbed the book from the table and sat on the floor next to Heero.  Wufei sat on the other side of Duo and Quatre and Trowa sat opposite them.  As Duo placed the book in the centre of their circle a feeling of anticipation washed over the five of them.  Duo opened the book . . .

A/N – So?  What did u think?  I know nothing much happened in this part but it's needed to explain the fic.  Please R&R!  Oh and BTW the book is a grimore, 4 all those who don't know what a grimore is, u'll have to wait and see! ^_~

Thank you to all those who reviewed the original version of this part namely, Nataku, ShinigamiDeathscythe, Dee, Silent Screamer, Naomi, Deaths Angle, Kimbo aka Diona, Chiren Decimal, Amy Mizuno, D.D.04, Unholy Quintet, Iruka-Yuywell, shrieoki and Alex (was Emily) and Michiko . . Sorry about the rediculously long wait!  The next part is already written and will be posted in a few days . . .if FF.net doesn't die (again)!

And another thanks 2 all those who reviewed Harmless Heart, I love ya all!


	2. Default Chapter

Warnings – Shounen ai (boy x boy love), supernatural stuff, limeish overtones…kinda…and OOC everyone ^^;; (I tried really I did!) 

A/N - . . .eep!

Another A/N – I did some serious research for this ficcy and just want to state I am aware that some aspects of the demon stuff isn't completely correct . . .it's called artists license so please don't flame and rant at me!  ^_^  

**The Sower of Discord**

          Melusine slid the book off her folded legs and cast her violet eyes around the circle giving a meaningful glance at each of her friends.  Delicately she held out her right hand, palm up, and watched as each girl repeated the movement in turn.  The power of the ritual swept over them; moving as one, the five witches lifted their left palms and placed it face down on the palm of the girl next to them.  A ripple of power rushed through them as the protective circle was completed and their eyes drifted shut.  Melusine flicked out a pink tongue to lick her suddenly dry lips and began to recite the words she had memorised so meticulously.  She was startled to find her voice shaking slightly under the immense pressure that came from knowing she held the lives of her friends in her hands.  Adel, who sat at her right, squeezed her hand reassuringly.  Melusine found her confidence and continued chanting the ritual.  The voices of the others rose to harmonise with her, their breathing and heartbeats became synchronised as they fell into the spell.  

          Unnoticed by the girls, who still had their eyes tightly closed, the pages of the book began to burn.  Thick black smoke emerged, dancing in the circle, before trying to depart and slamming into the invisible wall which had been created by the cross-section of the pentagram.  The smoke was scattered on the heated breeze for a moment, but rose again as the intensity of the ceremony climbed to new heights.  Human features began to appear in the smoke, legs, arms, torso, a head.  Burning red eyes blinked into life and surveyed the novices with utter contempt.  What right had they to call Him into the mortal realm?  What made them think that they could accomplish a feat that had destroyed the strongest of crones?

          The figure moved slowly around the circle, examining each girl in turn.  They had to be the most enchanting humans he had ever seen.  With a feral growl the immortal sent tendrils of smoke through the air, one to each of them.  The black gas dived into their open mouths and down their throats, causing their eyes to fly open in shock as they were violated.  Five pairs of eyes locked onto him immediately, drawn in and captured by his will.  Melusine fought to close her mouth as more of the foul fumes invaded her body.  His sensual voice purred inside her mind, urged her to let go of the witch next to her, promised pleasure beyond her wildest dreams.  She tightened her hands around the wrists of her friends and felt them reaffirm their gip in response.

          /He can't do anything, not while were hold the circle.  He can't do anything/ she thought frantically, even as his deep, rich laugh sounded in her head, sending shivers down her spine.  Her thoughts were quickly dashed as an intense wave of pleasure began to smoulder in her groin.  She moaned, breathing in more of the smoke and in return the ecstasy increased.  ~That's right~ A husky voice murmured to her.  ~Breathe deep and ye shall be rewarded~

          Melusine took a long deep breath and felt the smoke flow into her, down her throat, though her stomach to settle in her groin and fan the glowing embers of pleasure into a roaring fire of bliss causing her rational mind to take a leave of absence.  

          White teeth flashed on darkness as he felt their tenuous hold on him weaken.  Crimson eyes flashed in triumph as he knew he would soon be free to wreak havoc on the human plane.  Sensing that they were ready and willing he sent a final thought into their weak minds.

          ~Release Me.~ 

          Firm grips relaxed and fingers unclenched as they unconsciously obeyed his command.  A magnificent bolt of white lightning tore itself from the heavens as the protective circle was broken.  The humanoid figure dashed from the pentagram only to slam into another wall.  Looking down at the ground, he roared his fury at the circle of precious gems and beyond that a circle of salt.  Turning back he snarled at the young witches, who were beginning to shake themselves free of his enchantment.  

          Melusine gasped in relief as the back up protection held true and glanced quickly at her friends.  

          "We have to send it back!"  she yelled, as the immortal threw its power at the wall.  Four pairs of fearful eyes met hers before lowering in understanding.  Melusine's clear voice began the chant that had been hammered into their brains for emergencies like this.  One by one the others joined her.  A powerful wind pushed back his form into the centre of the pentagram.  Another lightning bolt shot from the sky and lanced through him to strike the book.  His body was torn apart by the howling wind and pulled back into the place it belonged.  The girls finished their spell with relief in their eyes that all too soon turned to fear.  The gale raged on, pushing them towards the centre of the pentagram and the gateway to another realm.  Desperately searching for something on the ground to cling to and finding nothing Melusine screamed in terror as her feet flew from underneath her and she was dragged across the ground.

          With a final flash of lightning and a boom of thunder the storm was over.  The book lay in the centre of a five-point star drawn in salt.  Its pristine white pages with lovingly inked words were unmarred as they fluttered in a breeze, showing no sign that they had been both burned and struck by lightning.  The air was clear and fresh, with no trace of the darkness that had polluted it only seconds before.  Next to the book lay small pieces of sapphire, amethyst, emerald, opal and obsidian . . .their relevant owners were notably absent.  The demon had been banished from whence it came and it had five little witches as souvenirs from its journey . . .

*          *          *

Duo grabbed the book from the table and sat on the floor next to Heero.  Wufei sat on the other side of Duo and Quatre and Trowa sat opposite them.  As Duo placed the book in the centre of their circle a feeling of anticipation washed over the five of them.  Duo opened the book . . .

            Nothing happened.

          "Well, that was a bit of an anti-climax," Wufei commented.  The five of them exchanged rueful looks, all feeling slightly foolish in the wake of anticipation that had built up previously.

          "So?  What's the book about?"  Quatre asked eagerly, curiosity making his cerulean blue eyes sparkle.  Duo looked down at the first page of the mysterious book.  

          Dismissing the strange design he flipped through a few pages to discover carefully inked writing.  Hesitatingly he answered the blond.

          "It's . . .um, it's a phone book," he stated haltingly.  Quatre giggled at his answer as Wufei leant over and carefully lifted the book from Duo so that he could examine it.  The dark haired scholar produced a pair of glasses from his pocket and read aloud the words which were written.

"Abdiel, Abbadon, Abigor-" 

"Demons," A quiet voice interrupted.  All eyes focused immediately on Trowa.  The uni-banged man sighed in exasperation, seeing that his friends and lover wanted an explanation.  "One of the mercenaries who watched out for me said he had rejected Jesus and The Lord.  He used to pray to Abigor before we went into battle."  The other pilots stared blankly at him.  "He told me that Abigor was a Grand Duke of Hell, who gave military advice to his followers," The usually quiet man clarified.

"Trowa's right," Duo agreed in a surprisingly serious tone.  "Now that I think about it Abdiel was a Seraphin who had an active role in Satan's rebellion," Duo paused for a moment as a quiet pride swept over his features.  "I can still remember some of Father Maxwell's teachings," The braided boy could barely control his gasp of surprise as he felt someone take his right hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.  Violet eyes widened as he looked over at Heero, down at their interlocking hands and back.  Heero didn't acknowledge him, prussian eyes darting back and forth as he read the book upside down, but he didn't release his hand either.

//Miracles can happen! // Duo mused, pulled from the sadness which always appeared when he though about that particular area of his past.  Wufei flicked past the list of names and found that the book also contained information on each demon that was listed.

"Adramelech; Grand Chancellor of the infernal empire, President of Devils' general council - The eighth of the ten evil Sephiroth," Wufei read aloud once more, frowning at the last detail.  "What's a Sephiroth?"

"A pryomaniac with a ten foot long sword*!" Duo remarked without thinking.  He blushed as the others looked at him and quickly dismissed their puzzled looks with a wave of his free hand.  The five fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, each thinking about the significance of this discovery, until a loud roar of fury broke the mood.  

"Eehehe," Duo laughed sheepishly and blushed even brighter in response to his growling stomach.  "So Q-man where's that food?"

*        *        *

Later that night, or early the next morning, which every way you want to look at it and Duo Maxwell was the only person in the safe house awake.  He lay in the double bed he shared with his lover, the bedside light on, pouring over the book which Quatre thought was called a Grimore.  Said lover was sleeping peacefully, face pressed against Duo's back and arm wrapped firmly around his waist.  Usually Duo would be taking this opportunity to enjoy the view of his slumbering mate but the American found himself unable to put the book down.  It was fascinating.  There were so many of them.  Some were ridiculous; there was a demon who had exceptionally bad breath and one whose job was to be the caretaker of the wine cellars of Hell.  Since when did fire and brimstone come with a wine cellar?  However there were other demons in there, some which he could clearly remember Father Maxwell talking about and which he could remember having vivid nightmares of.  Antichrist, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Lucifer and Moloch were a few which rang horribly familiar in his mind.

He finished scan reading the section and his eyes were growing heavy with sleep but still he persevered.  The next part was more then enough to wake him again.  Invocation.  The summoning of a demon.  Detailed instructions and incantations were supplied which gave the reader the knowledge to summon any of the demons listed in the book.  Summon them and gain control of their power.  Wealth, knowledge, power, invisibility, alchemy, seduction, control of the elements, the power to _end wars_, with this anything was possible.  Violet eyes shining with ideas Duo eventually closed the book and placed it on the bedside table.  He switched off the light and turned to face his lover.  Wrapping his arms around Heero's sleeping figure Duo slowly drifted off to sleep.  That night his slumber was filled with beautiful dreams of what his life and those of his friends could be like if the ended the war tomorrow.  He smiled in his sleep.  He had the power.  _He_ could end the war tomorrow.  The smile faded into a determined frown and he cradled his lover to him protectively.  He _would_ end the war tomorrow.  For all of them.

*        *        *

"I have to admit, I've always wanted to dabble in the occult," the innocent looking, blue-eyes blond told Duo excitedly.  The fact was Duo needed all of the pilots to agree to perform the invocation and he had thought Quatre would be the easiest to convince, he never thought that the Arabian would be so eager though.  "One of my sisters used to be into all that, she used to tell me about oujia boards and stuff but she'd never let me try!"  Duo grinned, happy to have found such a willing ally so quickly.  The two bent their heads together in a heated discussion of tactics and persuasive manoeuvres in order to gain the consent of their comrades.  Both men were sure that they could convince their respective lovers to take part in the ritual with minimal effort.  It was Wufei who was going to cause the biggest problem.

True to their prediction Heero and Trowa were easily swayed by teary eyes and whispered promises while Wufei had burst into a rant the _instant_ Duo had mentioned that he wanted to summon a demon.  A very long, very angry rant and he had more than a few good points too.

"-And Winner I'm surprised at you!  I mean you expect flights of fancy from Maxwell but I thought you had more sense than that!" Quatre opened his mouth to protest but didn't get the opportunity as Wufei raged on.  "And anyway last time I checked _that_ was the symbol of Christianity!" Wufei growled, pointing at the cross hanging around Duo's neck.  "As I recall Christian's aren't to fond of those who call up demons!"  Violet eyes flashed dangerously.  

"Yeah well they aren't to fond of homosexuals either but you don't see that stopping me!" Duo's voice began to rise, catching the attention of Heero and Trowa who were in the kitchen preparing lunch.

"I don't care!"  Wufei's voice also rose in decibels and the two cooks made their way over to the doorway to observe the argument and make sure Wufei didn't lose it altogether and attempt to strangle the braided boy.  "Its dangerous!  And I'm not going to stick my neck out just because you want money, or power, or because Yuy isn't good enough in bed!"  

Duo saw red and flew at Wufei with a feral roar, intent on shaking some reason into him.  He immediately found restraining arms around his waist and discovered that the diminutive blond was actually quite strong.  Heero and Trowa stood in-between the American and Chinese men, doing a rather good impression of bouncers.  "Is that what you really think of me 'Fei?"  The anger drained slightly from Duo's voice, leaving only hurt.  The Nataku pilot bowed his head in defeat.

"I did not mean what I said, my temper makes my tongue sharp, I am sorry." Wufei offered sincerely and Duo flashed him a small smile.  

"Are you in?" Duo asked and could hardly contain his excitement as his adversary/friend nodded.  "Yay!  Alright!  Hee-chan, Trowa, I'm sorry but you better throw that food away!  We've got to fast for six hours before we do the summoning!"  Wufei raised an amused eyebrow, past resentment already behind him.

"Are you sure you can last that long?"  He asked lightly.  Duo laughed.

"I've got a good incentive!  After all I get to see all of you naked when we do the cleansing ritual in the lake outside!"  He cast a lecherous glance at his friends, earning him a light punch from Heero.

"What?!  I am not going to reveal my body to you and I'm defiantly not going into that freezing cold lake!" Wufei told them vehemently.

"Sorry 'Fei, you gave your word!" Duo told the honour bound man happily.  Wufei crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at the fact that Duo had him trapped.

"Besides it's either fasting and cleansing, or it's alcohol, drugs and an orgy."  Heero Yuy stated in a perfectly serious, monotonous voice.  He smirked smugly at their dumbfounded expressions.  "I did some research."  

"Right then!" Duo said brightly, quickly recovering from the shock.  "Orgy it is!  . . .Guys?  Hey guys where you goin'?  Hee-chan come back here!  I want mass-sex-goodness! . . .Hello? . . .Anybody . . ?  Hello . . .?"

To be Continued . . .

*Heheh, its Sephy!  Sorry but I couldn't help myself!

A/N – Eek, I am really not sure if this part works . . .really, really not sure!  However I am currently under the inluence of several Bacardi Breezers and am gonna post it anyway!  Pleeeeeease review!  *Pulls on a flame-retardant anorak*


	3. Default Chapter

Warnings – Shounen ai (boy x boy love), supernatural stuff, limeish overtones…kinda…and OOC everyone ^^;; (Especially Trowa, he's fun 2 mess with!) 

Thank yous – Little-Kaori solo Yuy-Maxwell, Kaika (not finished by a long shot! ^^;;), Digimon Dreamer . . .Because the last time I posted was at the time of the great ff.net crash I will forgive the lack of feedback, but pwease let me know if you like this ficcy and think its worth continuing!  . . . Pwease?

**The Adversary**

Adel blinked open her vibrant prussian blue eyes to be met with the sight of the unconscious bodies of her friends.  A flash of fear rippled through her before she noticed that they were all beginning to stir.  She frowned as her attention shifted to the substance beneath her feet.  Sand, which appeared to be almost red in colouration, stretched out in a featureless landscape as far as she could see.  Adel tilted back her head to gaze at the night sky.  Her golden skin paled considerably as she looked upon a sky which was unbroken by clouds, stars or planets.  Pure darkness encompassed her vision and she felt like she was staring into the abyss.  Her silent horror was broken by the voice of her friends, pulling her back from the edge.

          "What happened?"

          "Where are we?

          "What the hell?"

          Adel finally managed to pull her gaze from the blank night sky turning her gaze instead to scan the horizon.  Her focused gaze was on the look out for potential threats; they were in the demon dimension after all.  She did a double take as she caught sight of a dark shadow which was rapidly heading in their direction.

          "We've got a problem!" She called out in warning to her friends who were now dusting themselves off.  They quickly snapped to attention, following Adel's gaze to the menacing figure.

          "Its Sytry!"  May yelled, her black eyes flashing with fear and anticipation as she made out the distinct features of the demon they had summoned.  The demon itself was in its human form, a black haired handsome man, but the beast he was riding was exclusive to Sytry, a winged leopard.  May prided herself on her knowledge of all things occult, her mentor had always placed great emphasis on the importance of book learning before he had passed away.  Her speciality was gems and minerals but she had a fairly vast knowledge of demonology too.  Anna stepped forward to stand beside the black haired girl, her soulful blue eyes focusing on the advancing demon.  She brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she took a moment to think their situation through.

          "Vivienne, slow him down!"  Anna commanded.  The blonde was the strategist of the group, instinctively taking charge when danger threatened.  She tended to prefer evasion to conflict as aggression went against her nature as a healer.  Vivienne crouched down on all fours, her emerald eyes sharp and focused.  The brunette had a natural affinity with animals and could use this ability to influence such creatures.  Offering a silent plea that the winged leopard was more animal than demon spawn, Vivienne began to murmur incantations under her breath.

          "Melusine, give us some cover," Anna continued.  

          "Sure thing," Melusine assented with a smirk as she pulled out a small pouch of verbena, a powerful magic-rich herb, then scattered a sparse circle around the five of them.  A wild grin lit her face and her violet eyes sparkled as she closed the circle.  "Now you see us, now you don't!"  She quipped before beginning her own incantation, designed to hide them from sight.  Melusine was the mistress of shields, shelter and all things stealth.

          "Stand by Adel," commanded Anna.  Out of the five girls Adel was the only one who wielded real destructive power first hand*.  Her mentor believed strongly that the best defence was a good offence and had trained his protégée accordingly.  Adel stood beside Melusine finding herself suddenly nervous.  Although she could probably best any of her friends in a fight she had no idea how her power would compare to that of a demon.  Hopefully she wouldn't have to find out.  "What do we know about Sytry?" Anna asked May, keeping her voice quiet.

          "Not a lot to be brutally honest," May replied solemnly.  "He's a Prince of Hell and the commander of seventy legions, that's about all I know!"  Anna bit her bottom lip in frustration.

          "We need to avoid a fight, we don't know enough about his powers.  Vivienne, do you think you can send him off course?"  The crouching girl nodded her head, too deep into her work to speak.  "Melusine we need you to hold the invisibility shield, okay?"  

          "Mm hmm," Melusine replied distractedly.

          "No speaking from now on," The blonde girl commanded in a tone which left no room for argument.  Silence reigned over the desert and the five witches vanished from sight.

          Sytry growled in frustration as his prey disappeared.  His unnatural amber eyes remained fixed on the spot where they had last been standing and urged the beast beneath him to hurry.  Instead of immediately complying with his wishes like the obedient pet he had trained the leopard stumbled, nearly throwing him, before it slowed its pace and began a meandering path.  Sytry snarled as the beast caused him to tear his gaze away from the girls' last sighting and in this featureless landscape there was no way in which he could regain it.  He dismounted the winged leopard as he felt his anger overtake him.  A bestial roar escaped his mouth as he shifted from human to demon form.  His facial features distorted and changed, hair began to grow all over his face as his teeth sharpened into those of a predator.  At the same time he could feel his shoulder blades begin to morph and grow, breaking his skin.  When the change had completed his amber eyes looked much more at home as his face was now that of a lion.  The rest of his body remained unchanged apart from the vast wings which now adorned his back.  Flexing the new appendages, Sytry crouched and took off into the sky in a burst power, his trusty pet following.

          The five girls watched in awe as their pursuer took off after his amazing at yet somewhat disturbing transformation.  As one they gave a collective sigh of relief.  Unfortunately they had not counted on the fact that with the head of a lion Sytry had much better hearing than a human.  He paused in midair, powerful wings flapping to hold him in one place.  The witches held their breath in fear, tension so high it was almost tangible.  The demon released a deafening roar before tucking his wings back and arching into a dive, very similar to that of a hawk which has locked onto its prey.  If he had been in his human form he would have been laughing in exhilaration.  One thought ran through his mind.  /Found you. /

*        *        *

          Heero sank cautiously into the cool water, he could see his lover in the corner of his vision and the lecherous gleam in Duo's eyes quickly inspired him to move into deeper waters. The corners of his blue eyes rose in what could be interpreted as a smile when he caught sight of Wufei.  Duo's earlier enthusiasm for an orgy had obviously left an impression on the Chinese youth as he kept casting suspicious glances in the braided boys direction.  Trowa seemed to be enjoying himself as he cut through the water with a powerful front crawl.  Quatre on the other hand didn't seem to be so eager to join in the "fun".  The Sandrock pilot was standing on the bank, cheeks flushed pink, as he attempted to cover his genitalia with his hands whilst eyeing the water with distaste.  He was so absorbed in his discomfort that he was unaware of the figure slowly creeping up on him.  Heero shook his head ruefully as Duo pounced upon the unsuspecting blonde.  Quatre yelped as both he and Duo fell into the water.  Heero watched in amusement as the Arabian released a battle cry and charged after Shinigami.

          "Hee-chan, save meeeee!" Duo yelled though his hysterical laughter as he dodge Quatre's grasping arms, making his way towards his lover.  The blonde boy smiled sweetly as he managed to get Duo in range.  The Deathscythe pilot jerked backwards as he tried to avoid the tidal wave Quatre had sent in his direction.  In doing so he managed to lose his balance and collapse on top of one very unprepared Heero Yuy.  Trowa paused and began to tread water as Heero was knocked over by Duo's flailing limbs and found himself submerged beneath the water.  The God of Death 'meeped' as his drenched lover rose from the depths of the lake like some angry ocean deity.  Trowa felt his iron clad control desert him and a small burst of laughter escaped his lips.  At the sound Heero focused smouldering prussian eyes on the unfortunate clown.  The ZERO pilot turned, beginning his advance on Trowa and the uni-banged boy found he had to battle to keep his nerve and hold his ground.  Heero stopped about a metre away from Trowa; with unreadable blue eyes he lifted his hand and let the European boy have it.  He splashed him.  Right in the face.

          For a moment there was dead silence as Trowa wiped the water from his eyes, then Duo, Quatre and Wufei all burst into laughter.  Heero smirked.

          "Nice one Yuy!" Wufei snickered, much to Quatre's consternation.

          "Hey!  That's my boyfriend he splashed!" he announced huffily.  Wufei turned to him, eyebrows and voice rising in disbelief.

          "You were laughing too!" The Chinese boy pointed out and Duo agreed, nodding emphatically.

          "Yeah . . .Well . . ." Quatre pouted as his usually eloquent tongue failed him, but quickly cheered up as he realised that sometimes actions speak louder than words . . .

          He splashed them both.

*        *        *

          "Are we actually going though with this?"  Wufei questioned as he placed his sword in the correct part of the pattern.  Duo winked a violet eye at him and grinned.

          "We've come this far!" He remarked.  The Shenlong pilot sighed in response, grumbling under his breath as he moved to stand in his designated part of the pentagram.  Heero moved forward next, lowering the dagger to the ground and glancing at the braided boy through his wild bangs.

          "You know I'm just humouring you," A statement, not a question.  The American laughed ruefully and shot his lover a small smile.

          "I know," he replied evenly.  Heero nodded in satisfaction and moved into his place.  Trowa walked up and silently put the hazel wand into place.  "Nothin' to say, eh Tro-man?" Duo questioned with good-humour in his voice.  The uni-banged boy turned back and for a split second Duo swore he could see a mischievous gleam in those emerald eyes.  Trowa leaned close and whispered in the braided boys ear.

          "I'm only doing this because Quatre promised we could use the handcuffs again," Duo's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open at the unexpected remark.  With a blank face, but eyes dancing with amusement, Trowa took his place on the opposite side of Wufei.  Quatre approached next, his blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.

          "Fingers crossed, right Duo?    . . .What's wrong?" He asked as the Deathscythe pilot eyed him strangely.  Dismissing Duo's unusual demeanour the Arabian moved to stand next to Trowa.

          Taking a deep breath for courage Duo grabbed the book and took the final place in the pentagram.  He opened his right palm to reveal the gem he had chosen as his signature stone; an amethyst.  Heero mimicked his motion, producing a small sapphire.  Wufei held up a piece of an obsidian stone which was called onyx.  Trowa held out an emerald which matched the shade of his eyes perfectly.  Quatre completed the circle by revealing an opal in his upturned palm.  As one the five boys cast the stones to the ground and sat down.  Duo opened the book.

          The braided boy held out his right hand palm up and watched as the others repeated the action.  Then they all lifted their left hands and closed the circle.  Duo jumped slightly in surprise as he felt a shot of electricity shoot through his body.  A quick glance at the others showed that they had felt it too, even Wufei's mightier-than-thou expression had been wiped off by surprise.  Duo steeled his nerves and began to murmur the words of the spell.  One by one he heard the others join in until all five of their voices harmonised to become one.  As the ritual took hold their eyes drifted shut and their breathing and heartbeats began to synchronise.  The wind around them whipped up into a gale fanning the book, which had just begun to smoulder, into an inferno.

          First and foremost the five boys were soldiers, trained to react instantly and without thought, to danger.  Fire defiantly counted as a threat.  Their voices stopped and they lost their synch as each of them were forcefully jerked from the spell to react to the blazing heat in front of them.  Heero moved as if to stand and leave the circle, stopped only by the forceful grip of Duo's hand on his.  

          "Stay down!"  Duo yelled against the ever increasing howl of the wind.  Heero opened his mouth to argue but was distracted as he felt the wind push forcefully against his body, edging him closer to the flames.  The Perfect Soldier frowned in determination as he jammed the heels of his feet into the ground.  A quick glance told him that the others were experiencing the same problem, although he couldn't see Quatre through the flames.  The wind screamed against his resistance and put even more pressure upon him.  Heero's eyes darkened with worry as he heard a yelp and then Trowa call his lovers name, fear dominating his voice.  The prussian eyed boy felt Wufei's grip tighten on his hand before releasing all together.  His head shot round just in time to meet his friends stricken black eyes before he was swallowed by the flames.  

          "Trowa!" Heero heard his lover cry out and just caught sight of the uni-banged boy disappear into the flames.  He looked back to his lover and pressed forward to catch Duo's lips in a brief kiss before his footing faltered and he fell towards the flames.  He tried to release Duo's hand to give the other boy a chance of survival but the Americans' grip was unshakeable and the two entered the flames together.  

          The instant the last of the Gundam pilots had entered the flames the wind dropped down to its previous level, barely stirring the night air.  The clouds above broke and a fine rain made short work of the hungry flames.  The book remained unmarred by fire or water, five gems sparkled softly in the rain and the hopes of the colonies had disappeared from the face of the Earth.

To be Continued . . .

* By this I mean that although Vivienne could command an animal to attack someone, Adel is the only one who can do damage all by herself.

A/N – Hm, personally I preferred the girls half of this 1…am currently feeling particularly inspired so hopefully the next part will be up soon!  Review!


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